l****z 发帖数: 29846 | 1 U.S. denies Tesla, GM, Uber 25% Chinese tariff relief
David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration is expanding efforts to
block the use of Chinese technology in advanced vehicles, denying additional
requests by Tesla Inc for tariff relief on key components of its electric
vehicles, and rejecting ride-hailing company Uber’s petition to waive
tariffs on electric scooters and at least 50 separate requests by General
Motors Co.
After the United States slapped 25 percent tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese
imports last year under the two countries’ trade dispute, the U.S. Trade
Representative (USTR) allowed companies to petition for exemptions.
Government documents show the USTR rejected requests to exempt Tesla’s
Model 3 car computer and center screen in May 29 letters, saying they both
concern “a product strategically important or related to ‘Made in China
2025,’ or other Chinese industrial programs.”
In May, Reuters reported that USTR had rejected a separate request by Tesla
to exempt the company’s Autopilot “brain” from the tariffs.
The more than 50 requests by GM rejected by USTR were for exemptions from
Chinese-made parts used in vehicles including electronic controllers used
for high voltage battery controls in hybrid and electric vehicles. It also
rejected GM requests for high frequency antennas, push-button ignition
switches, battery cables, electric motor parts and brake parts.GM declined
to comment. In filings it said that some parts were not available outside
China or that it would be cost prohibitive to shift production elsewhere.
The USTR denied Uber Technologies Inc’s request on May 29 for an exemption
from the 25% tariff for its Chinese-made electric bikes that customers rent
through its app. Uber declined to comment.
USTR also rejected dozens of requests by Nissan Motor Co. It denied nearly
two dozen requests from Fiat Chrysler for parts including wire harnesses and
an electrical power steering pump used in vehicles like the company’s 2019
Ram 1500 and Jeep Wrangler.
Fiat Chrysler warned USTR in one request that without exemptions it will “
reduce its margins, pass the additional cost onto consumers, or some
combination of the two.”
The denials of relief for more than 7,000 products to date out of 13,000
requests illustrate a systematic approach by the Trump administration to
thwart China’s efforts to develop high-technology industries that
Washington alleges benefited from theft and forced transfer of U.S.
intellectual property.
Tesla had warned that increased tariffs on the car computer it has dubbed
the “brains” of the Model 3 causes “economic harm to Tesla, through the
increase of costs and impact to profitability.”
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Tesla had also urged the office to approve a request by its supplier SAS
Automotive USA Inc, builder of the touchscreen control screen for the Model
3, which displays navigation, media, audio and other functions.
Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but said in an
April 29 securities filing that “costs for producing our vehicles in the U.
S. have also been affected by import duties on certain components sourced
from China.”
Shares of Tesla were off earlier highs after Reuters first reported the
decisions, but closed up 2.2% at $213.91 on the Nasdaq.
Tesla said in its tariff exemption request that “choosing any other
supplier would have delayed the (Model 3) program by 18 months with clean
room setup, line validation and staff training.”
China’s “Made in China 2025” strategy is focused on 10 strategic advanced
manufacturing industries including new energy vehicles, where it aims to be
a global leader.
Reuters reported previously that U.S. trade officials also rejected on May
29 separate requests from GM and Chinese-owned Volvo Cars for an exemption
to the 25% U.S. tariff on their sport utility vehicles made in China.
Both GM and Volvo Cars, a unit of Geely, had not raised the sticker price to
account for tariffs, which came into play last July.
GM’s Buick Envision, a midsize SUV with a starting price of about $35,000,
has become a target for U.S. critics of Chinese-made goods, including
leaders of the United Auto Workers union and members in key political swing
states such as Michigan and Ohio.
USTR has also rejected dozens of other requests by suppliers for major auto
companies. |
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